This invention relates to a compact magnetic recording and reproducing device and more particularly to a tape loading mechanism which prevents damage to the tape.
In prior art magnetic recording and reproducing devices, a tape loading mechanism, as described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 62-232750, is constructed such that a plurality of tape pull-out guide means, including tape pull-out guide means having an inclined tape guide, are inserted into an opening of a tape cassette when the tape cassette is loaded. The individual guides come into contact with a tape at a base surface side thereof and pull out the tape from the cassette and wind the tape around a cylinder having a rotating head mounted thereon, thus forming a predetermined tape running path.
In the above-mentioned prior art, consideration was not given to the positions of the plurality of tape guides in the process of forming the tape running path. In consequence, the magnetic tape is pulled out of the tape cassett such that its height gradually varies when wound around the rotating cylinder for a predetermined range of winding angle, and thus the tape is twisted due to the different attitude of the tape guides and comes to assume unnatural attitude between the tape guides. As a result, the magnetic tape is subjected to immoderate forces and damaged results.
In addition, prior art tape loading mechanisms are arranged such that after a plurality of tape pull-out guide means including a tape pull-out guide means having an inclined tape guide are all inserted into an opening of the tape cassette upon loading of the cassette, the individual tape guides come into contact with the tape at the base surface side thereof. When the space of the opening of the tape cassette was reduced in response to the size reduction of the magnetic recording and reproducing devices, the tape pull-out guide means cannot be inserted into the opening of the cassette, and even if they could be inserted, they interfere with one another during the tape loading, making it difficult to obtain smooth operation.